Kolkata, 16 July (H.S.) :

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) suffered another major setback ahead of its July 21 Martyrs' Day programme, with former bureaucrat and ex-minister Manish Gupta announcing his resignation from the party. Gupta said there was nothing left for him to do in the TMC and that he had therefore decided to quit. He added that he would formally submit his resignation to party chief Mamata Banerjee shortly.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Gupta said, There is nothing left for me to do in this party anymore. Instead of wasting time, I have decided to leave. I will formally send my resignation to Mamata Banerjee soon.

Gupta has long remained a controversial figure over the police firing during the July 21, 1993 Writers' Building (Mahakaran) protest, when he was serving as the state's Home Secretary. The incident, in which 13 Youth Congress workers were killed, remained a major political issue for years, and Gupta frequently faced allegations over his role. Despite the controversy, Mamata Banerjee inducted him into politics after the change of government in 2011, making him a legislator and later appointing him as a minister in her cabinet.

Political observers believe the TMC has been grappling with a deep organisational crisis following its poor performance in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. Recently, 20 MPs led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar left the party to join the NCPI. Subsequently, Dastidar questioned why Mamata Banerjee had inducted Gupta into the TMC without any inquiry despite the controversy surrounding the 1993 firing. She also wrote to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, seeking a fresh investigation into Gupta's alleged role in the incident.

Gupta's decision to leave the TMC just days before the party's annual July 21 Martyrs' Day observance is being viewed as politically significant.

While announcing his resignation, Gupta praised Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, describing him as an extremely capable administrator and expressing hope that he would take West Bengal to new heights.

However, Gupta declined to comment on speculation over whether he would join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His next political move is now being closely watched.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh